• Controversial Topics
    Several months ago, I added a private sub-forum to allow members to discuss these topics without fear of infractions or banning. It's opt-in, opt-out. Corey Click Here

Never thought I'd do it- Cancelled.

We have not been since 2010 after many trips. Life just has a way of doing that. We did want to go with the family. Looked forward to seeing Disney through our grandkids eyes. Don't think its going to happen now. Not just because of Covid. We wouldn't go until things were much better.

We were the type to decide in advance what parks we would go to, on which days, depending on parades and fireworks. We would go earlyish. Definitely never made it to rope drop. We had an idea of what we wanted to do but that was where the planning ended.

I just can't see us up and online for 7am trying to book rides. Running around the park with a phone in hand trying to score more. Paying extra to have that pleasure (I know we don't have to do it but ). Having to order our food in advance for pick up or even book months in advance. Just sounds like to much work for me.

Maybe one day...
 
oh wow! now maybe it is worth adding on park hopper for our 2 days? We have never done Guardians or Ratatoullie.... This trip is getting pricier by the second!
 


I've gotten to that point, too. I had been hanging on, saying I wanted to go during the 50th at some point, but now I'm thinking Spain might win out for a fall trip. I need Guardians and Tron to open before I'll be at all motivated to go back.
 


When it became clear that things were not going back to normal, maybe ever, I took it upon myself to start aggressively saving and planning for early retirement. I attacked every angle and wrote multiple plans. Combat Karl never gives up. Combat Karl finds a way. I am on track to retire the very first day I am eligible, but don't tell the boss.

And my fever for Disney World, and my plans for DVC at AKL, and my awareness of all things new in the parks, and my blog reading, and vlog watching....all died. I am a vastly different person than the one that left Beach Club in March of 2020. I garden. I meditate daily. I dream of a hideout in the woods. And I don't love Disney right now. Is it Disney? Or is it me?

I sort of have a similar experience. We had 'general' plans for my husband to retire in 2023 and me approx 2 years later (I get more vacation and we thought at minimum he'd be able to travel with me more than....any time in our married lives). I found out in 2021 that my business unit (for a very large company) was exiting their market and we'd be getting laid off in mid 2022 with nice bonuses for staying until the end + severance. Anyway, I'm sure I could find another position in our company but realized that between the bonus+severance, it was taking me within a year or so of my goal anyway. Did I want to work 2 more years just to gain 1 more year of income? Covid (and if I'm being frank, aging) has made the decision pretty easy. I've got some anxiety that's crept in, some health scares helped, but I know we're making the right decision even if belts are tight for a few years to be cautious.

We did just cancel a Feb trip with our grown kids+SOs due to covid concerns. One of the traveling party got covid right around xmas, their SO then had to miss 2 weeks of work due to the exposure. So while it didn't directly contribute to concern for the trip, it impacted their comfort with taking time off that quickly. We're not super comfortable about traveling during Omicron. We'll try to reschedule if 6 adults can figure out another timeframe that works. That will be a big expense for us, but honestly I feel like it might be the last time we head to WDW for a very long time. It's just so very expensive and we have other travel goals that can be accomplished with those funds.
 
Add me to the cancellation list. I just listed my points for rent. Our reservations were for March, Spring Break. This makes the 3rd Spring Break trip cancelled. Well, the 1st one was cancelled for me with the shut down. So my running tally is 5 trips cancelled. I’m really bummed. My family has zero interest in going in the current state of WDW. I do agree with them. Whah!!! I can still throw myself a Pity Party. Now I just need to figure out what we are going to do.
 
Add me to the cancellation list. I just listed my points for rent. Our reservations were for March, Spring Break. This makes the 3rd Spring Break trip cancelled. Well, the 1st one was cancelled for me with the shut down. So my running tally is 5 trips cancelled. I’m really bummed. My family has zero interest in going in the current state of WDW. I do agree with them. Whah!!! I can still throw myself a Pity Party. Now I just need to figure out what we are going to do.
Hogwarts?
 
We’re at our breaking point too. We are AP, but don’t plan on renewing. For, I’m not sure how years, we’ve gone multiple times a year to DW, spending thousands of dollars. And even though, we’re going back in two weeks that will be our last trip for awhile. I’m a little sad that we’ve gotten to this point, but it’ll also open up opportunities to go to other fabulous adventures. Our reasons for stepping away from DW are the same as most, unruly guests, crowds, cost, lack of training of cms (don’t blame cms, blame Disney), genie + (hate genie +, probably was last straw for me, don’t want to stare at my phone all day, plus cost), no housekeeping, etc. I mean, we got to the point where it’s becoming a chore, not a joy, so it’s time for a break. Hopefully, in a couple of years we’ll make it back.
 
We haven't been since 2017. I wanted to go last year before the pandemic, but now we are waiting. But there are some changes that have turned us off, mostly the death of FastPass and paying for parking at your resort. Those are kinda the last straw for me.
 
Daughter and I are AP since 2015. We’re out of state (PA) but do 3-4 trips per year. Our AP is up late April and we’re officially done. Went twice last year (April stayed at the Poly and July stayed at SS). Was gonna do one more trip but just can’t get excited with the current state of WDW. Hate all the new changes, LL is a mess that I don’t feel like learning, hotel rates are absurd, crowds are bad. The Galactic Starcruiser price is laughable. I make plenty of money so it’s not so much the cost as it is I’d rather spend my vacation money on Europe/Egypt/Aruba etc.

Still thankful for all the great memories it’s just not worth the effort anymore.
 
I last went to Disney in 2004. I went with my then girlfriend, now wife. Fast Forward nearly 20 years and I am planning our first trip since 2004 and now I have two kids (aged 8 and 10). The levels of planning I did last time put me in the hyper planner, Disney obsessed category. I loved it and we had a great time. It seems that that level of planning is the basic you need to do now. I will be a slave to my iphone - ideally I'd like to leave my phone in my room!! It is astonishing the hoops you need to jump through now. I am trying to plan like I did last time, but I am trying to think 'every single thing we do and see is a bonus'. If I miss something - so what? Disney are still obviously doing something right given the levels of attendance, but I am not sure Walt would approve of all of this :)
 
I had posted previously about a disastrous trip we had over Thanksgiving, and as many DIS’ers suggested, let Guest Relations know of my extreme dissatisfaction. I sent my first email around December 8th and never heard back. Well, I gave them the benefit of the doubt that it just got lost in the holiday shuffle. So I re-sent it around the third week of January. I received an email this morning and they are (essentially) giving me the resolution I asked for. (Free night in the castle suite!! Just kidding LOL)

So I just came up echo the excellent advice I received here. If you are not satisfied, complain. Reiterate if necessary. Be descriptive in the issues you experienced, why/how they impacted the quality of your trip, and what kind of resolution you request. And in my case anyway, I did choose to include the emotional side of the story and not just the facts (although I did give concrete examples, including locations/parks/days). Best of luck to all of you in getting any dissatisfaction resolved, and hopefully the “full magic” will be restored sooner rather than later.
 
I agree. Not to bash Disney, but anyone who has visited in the late 90s is in for a real shock. The changes haven't all been good. Just continues to add up. We promised our special adult son a trip this year. He is already checking on happenings everyday. He plays Disney music all day long on his computer. I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't decided what to order at th e restaurants he wants to go too. I hope we can manage with the crowds with no smartphone.
 
We replaced our Disney trip with a non-Disney Cruise and just got back. We had a wonderful time and didn't plan a thing. We flew into New Orleans on February 3rd and spent 2 days exploring the French Quarter and Garden District. We did a carriage ride and a ghost tour, along with checking out the art galleries and eating amazing food. We saw a bar that they're setting up to film a Nicholas Cage vampire movie. Cruise left on the 6th and we went to Roatan, Belize, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. Ship only had about 25% capacity for passengers. We came back on the 13th and spent one more day in New Orleans before flying home on Monday. Ship was fully operational with shows, comedians, dueling pianos, dance parties, etc. Best part was the entire 12 day trip for the two of us including all food, drink, entertainment, flights, hotel, cruise, etc. cost less than $4000.
 
We just returned. We are more casual Disney fans, I think about 7 trips in the past dozen years (a couple were just 1 day jaunts before a Disney cruise and during a trip to L.A.).

Although Disney is probably my autistic son’s favorite place on the planet, and his younger sister’s as well, the price is just getting out of hand for the experience and value proposition.

We don’t even really have budget concerns for vacations, but the principle for paying per person, per day and sometimes per ride for better access is just insulting and not something. Although other parks do this it’s not something I thought Disney should do given the premium price point. At a minimum, WDW resort guests should have G+ included as a perk. Of course then they’d probably just raise the room rates.

They really need to improve the daily guest experience by limiting park entry more, they should do the research to find the volume where no ride should have longer than a 75 minute standby wait.
 
We’re taking our first trip to WDW since 2014 and since having 3 kids. I would normally be ecstatic but it’s hard to get past the changes. If things were “normal”, we’d probably be going back next year too but I think it’s safe to say that isn’t happening. It’s the principle thing for me too. I get that Disney took a huge hit and things are tough, but they have somehow managed to cheapen the experience while making it more astronomically expensive than before, all at the same time.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!











facebook twitter
Top